Trimmer-arch



v (No Model.)

W. S. EAMES.

TRIMMER ARCH. No. 322,047. Patented July 14, 1885.

N. PETERS, PhnlO-Lilhngmphor. Walkinglflm D. C.

' UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE,

XVILLIAM S. EAMES, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

TRIMMER-ARCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 322,047, dated July 14,1885.

' Application filed November 17, 1884. (No mode To aZZ whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM S. EAMES, of the city of St. Louis, State ofMissouri, have made a certain new and useful Improvement in theConstruction and Manufacture of Trimmer-Arches, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theannexed drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section throughtrimmer-arch at right angles with wall of building; Fig. 2, aperspective view of trimmerarch.

In the drawings, A is my trimmer-arch; X X, flanges of same; a, keys orinterstices in bottom of same; B, wall of building; B, wall-proj ection;O G,headers supporting beams for joists and trimmer-arch; D, projectionor hearing 011 headers; E, hearth-slab; F, fireplace; G, flooring; H,laths, and I plastering.

In the construction of buildings it has become necessary to constructthe floorings about the hearths in a fire-proof manner, and on thataccount the joists to which the wooden fioorings and laths are attachedare not allowed to be brought near the chimneys. For this reason, in theconstruction of buildings with fireplaces, it has heretofore been thecustom to form the hearth-bed, or that part immediately in front andabout thefire-place, in the following manner: At a suitable distancefrom the fire-place, say two or three feet, crossbeams called headersare placed, these beams or headers being attached in any suitable mannerto joists running into wall of building on either side of fire-p1ace atright angles with headers. A vertical section of these cross-beams orheaders is shown'at O 0, Fig. 1. These headers act as supports or endbearings for joists,which would otherwise find support in wall ofbuilding immediately under fire-place. What is known as trimmerarch, orthe continuation of flooring immediately in front of fire-place, wasmade by erecting an arched temporary frame-work of wood between headersand main wall, and then building a brick arch over this temporary woodenone, and, when mortar and bricks had set, to remove temporary woodenarch, leaving a frame-work formed by a brick arch, and this frame-workwas built upon from above and below with mortar and cement until an evensurface above for hearth-slab and below for plaster was formed. Thiswell-known peculiar method of constructing a fire-proof bed in front ofthe fire-place has given it the name in architecture of trimmer-arch.

The disadvantages of constructing a trimmer arch in this mannerhereinbefore described are: In house-building the services of a. specialskilled mechanic are required to construct the arch of brick fromheaders to main wall, and after arch has set it is necessary to fill inspan made by arch from above and below, so as to make an even surface toreceive hearth-slab from above, and an even surface from below toreceive laths and plaster. All this involves time in construction,skilled labor in erecting brick arch, and labor in building on arch fromabove and below. To avoid all these difficulties is the purpose of myinvention.

I construct what corresponds to that important part in housebuildingknown as trimmer-arch in one or more sections, the sections being ofsuch configuration with reference to rest of building that they will fitinto parts of building prepared for their reception, and once fitted inposition these sections will be ready for the reception of hearthslab,when desirable, from above, and plastering, when desirable, from below.

I construct my trimmer-arch of a section, A, made of any suitablefire-proof material, for economy of material preferably leaving a hollowspace in its center. I provide shoulders or flanges X X at either of thesection A, preferably extending these shoulders along the entire lengthof the section, as shown at Fig. 2. I provide the bottom of the sectionwith a series of interstices or keys, a, to form a grip for theplastering on the ceiling of a lower floor.

The lodgment of my trimmer and section I effect as follows: To theheader cross-timbers O O, I attach a projection or a series ofprojections, but preferably a continuous projection in the shape of ahorizontal beam, D. (See Fig. 1.) Ialso providea continuous projectionor a number of projections from main wall B, preferably by allowingbricks to project, forming a ledge, as shown at B, Fig. 1. Thetrimmer-arch piece A is then placed in IOC space between headers O G andwall B, resting securely in that position, with its shoulders X Xresting upon projections D and B. All the labor necessary to be done isto place the trimmer-arch piece A, and once in place it is ready toreceive hearth-slab E and plas terl, if desirable, as shown in Fig. 1.

This trimmer-arch can be made of one section like section A of drawings,or of more than one section like section A.

I am aware that hollow tile are not new as used for architecturalpurposes; and I am also aware that it is not new to use hollow tile inconnection with metal girders in the construction of ceilings offire-proof buildings, and I do not desire to claim the same, as myinvention relates to the construction of trimmer-arches situate adjacentto the fire-place of buildings not necessarily otherwise fircproof, andis an improvement on the expensive and troublesome method ofconstruction now generally employed.

I elain1 In a trimmer-arch, the combination of one or more hollowsections, A, formed of fire-proof 2 5

